Sad Anniversary: How Greece handed Eastern Thrace to the Turks in 1922 without a single shot being fired!

It has been 103 years since the “Armistice of Mudanya” and the abandonment of Eastern Thrace by its Greek population, connected September 30, 1922. After the Asia Minor Catastrophe came the “Thracian Catastrophe”, which marked the removal of Greeks from regions wherever their ancestors had lived for centuries…

After the Asia Minor Catastrophe, specifically connected September 11, 1922, a Movement of the Army and Navy broke retired successful Chios and Lesvos, and a Revolutionary Committee was formed nether Nikolaos Plastiras, Stylianos Gonatas, and Dimitrios Fokas.

On August 28, 1922, the authorities of Petros Protopapadakis had resigned and a authorities was formed nether Nikolaos Triantafyllakos. Meanwhile, from Chios and Lesvos, wherever the Revolution began, its troops reached Lavrio connected September 13, 1922. The adjacent time King Constantine I abdicated and near for Italy. On September 15, the revolutionaries entered Athens, wherever they foiled the effort of retired Lieutenant General Theodoros Pangalos to instrumentality vantage of the Revolution and prehend powerfulness himself.

A governmental authorities was formed with Sotirios Krokidas arsenic president. However, powerfulness laic with the Revolutionary Committee, led by Nikolaos Plastiras. Greece’s planetary practice was entrusted to Eleftherios Venizelos. On September 10, 1922, the governments of Britain, France, and Italy sent a enactment to Kemal, asking if helium was consenting to nonstop a typical to a league to beryllium held successful Venice oregon elsewhere, for the decision of a imperishable bid betwixt Greece, Turkey, and the Allies.

In the note, signed by French Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Poincaré, British Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon, and Italian Ambassador successful Paris Count Sforza, it was stated that the Allies were positively inclined toward Turkey’s request to beryllium granted Thrace up to the Evros River. This determination by the Allies seems inexplicable, but it tin beryllium explained by the information that they were by past definite of their gains: “Great Britain successful Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, and the lipid fields of Mosul, France successful Syria and Lebanon, and Italy successful the demolition of Greece” (Dimitris A. Mavridis, From the History of Thrace, 1875–1925).

The destiny of Eastern Thrace was decided successful Paris successful September 1922. The determination for its evacuation was ratified connected 9/9/1922, aft stormy three-day negotiations betwixt French Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Poincaré and British Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon. Venizelos’ pleas to Poincaré were met with icy indifference.

The location wherever the Armistice of Mudanya was signed

Despite Greece’s subject illness successful Asia Minor, it was alternatively improbable that the Turkish service could transverse the Sea of Marmara and inhabit Eastern Thrace. The Turks lacked naval power, portion Greek battleships could execute much… If our state had refused to evacuate Eastern Thrace, it would person gained precious time. If the Turks crossed the Bosphorus oregon the Dardanelles, which were held by the British with fewer forces, they would person clashed with them—a highly favorable result for Greece.

In Kemal’s army, signs of disorganization were already appearing… Though victorious, the soldiers were exhausted and uninterested successful the European coast. Many, coming from heavy Anatolia, had begun deserting. Problems besides arose connected Turkey’s eastbound borders. Meanwhile, the approaching wintertime would marque subject operations successful Eastern Thrace impossible, portion the Greek service could regroup—which it did.

On 19/9/1922, successful a speech with Lord Curzon, Eleftherios Venizelos refused the withdrawal of the Greek service from Eastern Thrace earlier the Peace Conference, since if that happened, determination would beryllium thing near to negotiate. As Curzon said, adjacent the proposition of evacuating Eastern Thrace made Venizelos suffer his accustomed composure. Yet, conscionable 3 days later, Venizelos informed Curzon that helium had advised the Greek authorities to judge the contiguous evacuation of Eastern Thrace. What happened successful between, we bash not know—and astir apt ne'er will…

Thracian refugees

On September 20, 1922, Venizelos sent a telegram to the leaders of the Revolution:
“The alteration that has occurred successful Greece indispensable cognize that catastrophes person already taken spot which are irreparable. Among the accomplished catastrophes, successful summation to Northern Epirus and Western Asia Minor, is Eastern Thrace, since our 3 large erstwhile Allied Powers person decided to manus it implicit to Turkey, and nary sensible national tin ideate continuing the warfare with Turkey portion we are successful implicit diplomatic and subject isolation.”

Regarding Eastern Thrace, helium wrote:
If the authorities insisted connected holding Eastern Thrace against the contrary sentiment of the “Allies,” “my warmest wishes would travel this conflict of the Nation, but I would successful that lawsuit beryllium successful the bittersweet necessity of refusing the honorable mandate to correspond the state abroad.”

The league connected the aboriginal of Eastern Thrace was yet decided to beryllium held successful Mudanya (present-day Mudanya), a municipality successful Asia Minor successful Bithynia, the larboard of Bursa. It began connected 20/9/1922—without the information of the Greek side! As Ismet Pasha (later Ismet Inönü) told S. Markezinis successful 1972, the main taxable of the league was “the line” up to which the Greeks would withdraw. Inönü told the “Allies”: “Let america scope a result, and the Greeks volition beryllium forced to judge it.” (S. Markezinis, Political History of Modern Greece).

The French and Italians acted arsenic allies of the Turks, portion the British, exasperated and weary, were the lone ones showing immoderate knowing for the Greek positions. As Spyros Markezinis writes: “The Greeks remained mute spectators portion the Turks continuously raised caller demands.”

Kemal made the outrageous request that the Greek delegation not get successful Mudanya connected a Greek ship! The French and Italians not lone accepted his request but besides pressured the alternatively reluctant British to bash the same!

The Greek delegation to Mudanya consisted of: Alexandros Mazarakis Ainian (Major General), Pavlos Oikonomou-Gouras (Foreign Ministry attaché), Alexandros Melas (reserve captain), Filotas Chatzilazaro, Kostas Athanatos (journalist and writer, existent sanction Konstantinos Karamouzis), and Colonel Ptolemaios Sarigiannis, erstwhile Deputy Chief of Staff successful Asia Minor.

Alexandros Mazarakis Ainian

All of them boarded the vessel Sphendoni, on with Nikolaos Plastiras, who did not actively enactment successful the negotiations but intimately observed them (according to Stylianos Gonatas). At Raidestos, the vessel stopped for coaling. The British, acting deceitfully, offered to transport the Greek delegation to Mudanya connected a accelerated destroyer, frankincense satisfying Kemal’s demand, portion the Greek delegation was wholly unaware.

Unfortunately, the ignorance of the Greek delegation did not halt there. The revolutionary government, anxious for planetary recognition, considered the invitation to Mudanya a affirmative development. It was nether the content that lone the presumption of a ceasefire would beryllium discussed there.

Major General Alexandros Mazarakis Ainian had received an assignment papers which explicitly stated that immoderate committedness not to reenforce the service successful Eastern Thrace was excluded, and adjacent wrote word-for-word: “…a implicit evacuation of Eastern Thrace up to the Evros River is perfectly excluded” (as Mazarakis Ainian himself reports). In the country determination were astir 45,000 men (five divisions) and a reasonably beardown artillery force.

Nikolaos Plastiras personally went to the portion and assured the inhabitants that “Thrace, for Greece, is considered its precise life” (25/9/1922, aged calendar) (Dr. Ioannis Papafloratos, The History of the Greek Army (1833–1949), vol. I, p. 769). The person of the question besides declared the following:

“Thrace constitutes the psyche of Greece. The army, being reorganized, volition signifier the bastion of Thrace… Rest assured, arsenic agelong arsenic the Revolution keeps ticker and your contented is handled by the top of politicians (i.e. Eleftherios Venizelos). The Revolution… declares that its foremost and nonsubjective intent is, done the relentless exertion of the laws, to reconstruct the authorities to the way of grant and work and to signifier an service worthy of the circumstances for the salvation of Thrace… everyone indispensable anticipation that Thrace volition not acquisition slavery, for Christian Europe [sic] volition not tolerate it, and due to the fact that the authorities of the state has been assumed by much motivation elements, portion the absorption of the Thracian question lies successful the top governmental mind… Thrace, for Greece, is considered its precise life…”
(Newspaper Eleftheron Vima, 26/9/1922, p. 1)

Nikolaos Plastiras

However, things did not crook retired favorably for our country… On the 3rd time of the conference, the Greek representatives were informed of the agreed text, according to which Greek forces had to instantly wantonness Eastern Thrace. Only the details could beryllium discussed.

Naturally, the Greek delegation reacted strongly, which enraged the French typical astatine Mudanya, Charpy. Some adjacent described him arsenic “wretched” for his wide behaviour there. The Italian typical was much mean than the Frenchman, though broadly successful statement with him. In contrast, the British broadside appeared much sympathetic to Greece.

The Greek delegation yet refused to motion and proceeded to draught its ain text. Unfortunately, that precise aforesaid day, Eleftherios Venizelos accepted the Evros enactment arsenic the borderline betwixt Greece and Turkey. On 25/9/1922, helium telegraphed from Paris: “Eastern Thrace has unluckily been mislaid for Greece” and “it is indispensable that Thracians wantonness the onshore they and their ancestors person inhabited for truthful galore centuries.” As Dimitris A. Mavridis characteristically writes: “It was yet different of the nationalist cleansings of the 20th century, adjacent though the Mudanya Armistice protocol acrophobic lone the evacuation of Eastern Thrace by the Greek service and not by the Greek population.”

Eleftherios Venizelos tried successful vain to person the Europeans that the transportation of Eastern Thrace to the Turks was unnecessary

Following these developments, caller instructions were fixed to Mazarakis Ainian. However, instantly afterward, a caller telegram arrived from Athens ordering the Greek serviceman to judge arsenic the borderline the aged Bulgarian-Turkish frontier of 1915. Mazarakis sarcastically commented past (and was aboriginal proven right…) that the officials of the Foreign Ministry and the General Staff were unaware that this pact placed the Bulgarian-Turkish borderline 2 kilometers eastbound of the Evros. With the archetypal telegram, however, Mazarakis Ainian received the bid to consent to the evacuation of the full eastbound slope of the stream and the country of Karagatch.

Plastiras, realizing the melodramatic developments, softly near Mudanya, seemingly to stay arsenic unscathed arsenic possible. Charpy was furious astatine the Greeks’ refusal to motion what had been agreed (in their absence…). He adjacent told Mazarakis that the Allies had prevented the Turks from chasing retired the Greeks of Thrace! This audacity was besides fueled by indefensible statements, specified arsenic that of Kondylis, who said: “If the Turks reached Thrace, lone the Corinthian Gulf would halt the Greeks from fleeing.” (Dr. Ioannis Papafloratos, The History of the Greek Army (1833–1949), vol. I)

Regarding the Mudanya Conference, it is diagnostic that Greeks and Turks ne'er sat astatine the aforesaid table. They were called alternately into the sessions, astir of which were held connected the British warship Iron Duke. The Greek delegation ne'er erstwhile acceptable ft connected land!

In the end, connected September 28, 1922 (October 11, caller calendar), the normal was signed by the Allies and the Turks, but not by the Greek side, which had wide instructions to judge lone the withdrawal of Greek troops from Eastern Thrace. The Greek administrative officials and gendarmerie were to stay there. The members of the Greek delegation went to Raidestos and from there, with the vessel Aspis, arrived astatine Phaleron.

The Greek authorities (that of Sotirios Krokidas, fto america recall) expressed its restitution toward Mazarakis and the different members of our delegation astatine Mudanya. Shortly afterward, a associated gathering of the Council of Ministers and the Revolutionary Committee was held. It was decided determination to judge the faits accomplis of Mudanya, and the Greek High Commissioner successful Constantinople was authorized to motion the Protocol of evacuation of Eastern Thrace. Astonished, Ismet Pasha (Inönü) said to Kemal: “The Yunan (Greeks) are gifting america Eastern Thrace!”

He repeated the aforesaid happening 50 years aboriginal to S. Markezinis: “Thrace was handed to america without a azygous changeable being fired.”

This was 1 of the darkest moments successful modern Greek history. What was it that made Eleftherios Venizelos alteration his caput successful conscionable 3 days? Why was Eastern Thrace abandoned contempt Plastiras’ proclamations? In what superior authorities would determination beryllium specified (inexcusable) ignorance astir wherever the borderline of 2 neighboring countries had been lone 7 years earlier?

The stance of the Greek delegation astatine Mudanya seems to person been much dignified and nationally correct, thing acknowledged adjacent by the Frenchman Charpy—prompter (at least) of the Turks on with Franklin-Bouillon—the Italian Mombelli, and the Briton Harrington, who headed the delegations of the “Allies.”

“The Greek delegation observes that nary of the points it raised successful its erstwhile statements was taken into relationship successful the drafting of the last subject agreement. Above all, regarding the enactment of withdrawal of the Greek troops, which it had already declared it could not accept, it received nary satisfaction…”

With the Armistice of Mudanya, Turkey was besides granted the alleged Karagatch Triangle, an country of 24,500 sq. km., of large economical and subject importance. (See besides our nonfiction connected Lenin–Kemal cooperation, protothema.gr, 9/4/2017).

Epilogue

On 30/9/1922, General K. Nider issued the bid for the withdrawal of the Greek Army westbound of the Evros. The withdrawal began connected 2/10/1922 and was completed connected 18/10/1922.

From 5/10/1922 to 18/10/1922, much than 250,000 Greeks (elsewhere reported arsenic 400,000) abandoned the Greek Eastern Thrace successful an ambiance of despair and panic. Among them were besides Asia Minor Greeks who had temporarily settled there. The Greek civilian authorities departed by the extremity of October 1922. The past to permission were the inhabitants of the Gallipoli Peninsula. And, arsenic Ismet Inönü said, each this happened without a azygous changeable being fired…

Eastern Thrace

At the opening of the 20th century, 360,000 Greeks lived successful the region, portion different 300,000 Greeks (Rum) lived successful Constantinople. The remainder of the colonisation of Eastern Thrace—almost fractional of the total—consisted of Turks, Albanian Muslims, Bulgarians, Armenians, Gypsies, Jews, and Christian Turks (Gagauz).

The main Greek centers of Eastern Thrace were Adrianople (Edirne), Saranta Ekklesies, Raidestos, the 28 villages of Ganochoria (above and astir the monastic halfway of Mount Ganos), Makra Gefyra, Vizye, Chora, Epivates, Exastero, and Selymbria, which formed a fortified presumption successful Constantinople’s antiaircraft system. Entirely Greek populations, and flourishing ones astatine that, besides existed successful the suburbs of Constantinople, connected the seashore of the Sea of Marmara, connected the eastbound enactment of the Black Sea, astatine Mount Ganos, and successful the Strandzha mountains. The populations of the Gulf of Saros connected the Aegean seashore and up to the rima of the Evros, wherever the past metropolis of Ainos was located, were besides overwhelmingly Greek.

During the Balkan Wars and the persecutions of the Young Turks (1914–1918), galore thousands of Thracians were located oregon forced to migrate to Greece (mainly Macedonia) oregon abroad. After the Treaty of Sèvres and the accomplishment of the Greek service successful Eastern Thrace successful July 1920, galore returned to their homes—only to wantonness them everlastingly aft the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the Mudanya Armistice successful the autumn of 1922.

(Most of the worldly we presented present comes from Dimitris A. Mavridis, From the History of Thrace, 1875–1925, published by the Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheorio, Xanthi, 2006.)

From the Asia Minor Catastrophe to the Mudanya Armistice

Sources

• Dr. Ioannis S. Papafloratos, The History of the Greek Army (1833–1949), vol. I
• Special acknowledgment to Dr. I. Papafloratos for kindly granting america support to usage worldly from his work.
• Dimitris A. Mavridis, From the History of Thrace (1875–1925), published by the Holy Metropolis of Xanthi and Peritheorio, Xanthi 2006.
• Grigorios Dafnis, Greece Between Two Wars, 1923–1940, Kaktos Publishing, 1997.